The invention concerns a device for use in the installation of a jet engine in a compartment of an aircraft, said compartment containing a plurality of guide rails which cooperate with the rollers supporting the jet engine.
The installation of the engine in a military aircraft is generally effected by means of four rollers, mounted on the engine and rolling on two rails attached to the compartment. This system requires rigorous control of the distance between centers of the rollers and of the parallelism of the rails, in order to prevent any jamming or derailment during the handling of the engine.
The weight of the rails, the rollers and the reinforcing pieces is relatively large and reduces the useful load of the aircraft.
French patent No. 1,216,234 describes a device for the installation and removal of a jet engine, capable of being mounted on the transport vehicle of an aircraft. This device consists of a system of braces maintaining two rails, with the end thereof fastened directly in the box of the aircraft compartment. The rails constitute a track for the rollers mounted on suspension studs of the engine. The braces support further a third, center rail which serves as a guide for two runners, each secured to a stirrup mounted for the purpose in front and at the rear of the engine. No indication is given concerning the installation of the stirrups and the time of their use during the movements of the engine. As the lateral rails and the center rail are adjacent only over a small portion of their length, the front stirrup appears to have a supporting role only when the engine is in its farthest position from the compartment. Only the rear stirrup serves as a guide when the engine is removed from or installed in the compartment. The rollers cooperating with the lateral rails are mounted on the mounting studs of the engine each time the latter is to be moved. Between the ends of the studs and the walls of the compartment, sufficient space must be provided for the placement of said rollers.